Safety-catch for elevators.



A. BUTTS.

SAFETY CATCH FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.19. x915.

1,17'?.,1 70. Patented Mar. 28, 1916.

AENT enrich.

ARTHUR BUTTS, OF BRAZIL, INDIANA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' V shrsrv-carcn non E EvArons.

. Application filed January 19, 1915. SerialNo. 3,081. i i

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ARTHUR BUTTS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brazil, in the county of Clay and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Catchesfor Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

It is an object of the invention to give an improved construction of safety grips for elevators, and oneparticularly applicable to mine cages, which will'b'e cheapto produce, efficient in action, and durable.

It is a particular aim to present such a device the operation of which will besimple and readily understood'without expert mechanical knowledge. Further, it is purposed to enable the renewalof certain important parts which are subject to wear, without the dismantling of the mechanism, and by persons without great mechanical ability.

It is a' most important object to provide a friction block, or gripper, constructed, and

with a mounting to permit its removal and replacementwithout the use of. tools or special appliances.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention will appear hereinafter in the construction, arrangement and combination-of parts there described, or shown in the drawings, in which, i a Figure 1 is aside elevation of a cage equipped with one of the possible embodiments of my invention, Fig. 2 "is a perspective view of the guide piece with the friction blocks removed, Fig. 3 is a detail ofthe friction block, Fig. 4 is a similar View showing the wear face, Fig. 5 is a fragmentary viewof one side of the guidechannel in the guide piece, illustrating the initial move ment of the friction block for removal.

There is illustrated formally a cage 10 mounted between the usual guides 11, and including the two side pieces 12 to which the floor 13 is attached in a suitable manner, and a cross beam 14 fixed across the upper ends of the side pieces. At the lower parts of the side pieces 12 guide blocks 15 are mounted, engaged with the respective guides 11, while at the upper ends of the side pieces 12 guide pieces 16 are mounted, which comprise castings each including the main body portion 17 extending vertically, and having a vertical channel 18 in its outer side receiving-Jone. of the guides 11, and having suitable openings therethrough for securing it directly to the side pieces 12. The casting also includes lateral extensions 19 secured to the cross beam 14, between which and the body portion 17, which is of greater thickness, there are extended strengthening webs Intermediately of the length of the channel, recesses of triangular form are formed at each side, in the upper or hypotenuse surface of which there is formed a dove-tail groove 22 extending longitudinally thereof from the upper end, the sides of which are widened at its lower part as at 23, for a purpose to appear. Ahned with these grooves slots 2 1 are formed through the outer sides of the guide pieces, in which there are mounted levers 25 constructed to Patented Mar. as, rate.

oscillate in the medial vertical plane of the recesses, and having projecting outer end portions 26 to which are connected heavy contractile springs 27, fastened to the lower parts of the side pieces beneath the levers and tending to hold them at the lower limit of their movement. Connected also to these ends of the levers there are cables 28, extending upwardly and over pulleys 29 at the upper parts of the guide pieces 17, from whence they are extended to the main lifting cable 30 connected directly to the cross beam in a customary way, the cables 28 being connected to the main cable 30 a distance above the cross beam, whereby the outer ends of the levers 25 are normally held upward against the action of the springs 27. The latter are of sufhcient strength to draw the cables 28 downwardly in case the tension on the cable 30 falls below a predetermined minimum. The inner ends 31 of the lovers are arranged to engage the lower sides of the recesses 21 when approximately horizontal, and stop short of the sides of the channel 18 a suitable distance. v

Engaged in and conforming to the shape of the recesses 21, there are friction blocks 32 having an inner vertical guide engaging face 33 formed with inclined grooves 34, extending outwardly from the middle on each side and inclined upwardly toward their outer ends. These grooves are closely spaced throughout the length of the blocks, in parallel relation. blocks is less than that of the recesses, and they are formed with central grooves 35 across their bases alined with and receiving the inner ends of the 1evers25, whereby The height of the their lower parts are held against lateral displacement from the recesses. On their inner or inclined sides, the blocks are pro-' vided with guide heads 36, circular in form and conforming in section with the upper parts of the grooves 22 so as to fit snugly yet freely therein for sliding movement of the blocks. With the inner ends of the levers 25 at the lower limit of their movement, the vertical sides of the blocks lie clear of the guides 11 within the recesses 21, and may be lifted so that their lower ends will clear the lever ends 31. They may then be swung outward at the bottom on the heads 36 as pivots, and when extended laterally from the recesses 21 at right angles to the grooves or nearly so, the heads 36 may be moved downwardly in the grooves to the enlarged portion 23,- when they may be disengaged and the blocks removed. Replacement may be accomplished by the re.- verse operation. 7

By this construction and arrangement the blocks may be removed with great ease for cleaning or renewal, and this is of great importance and value, as the accumulation of heavy partly dried grease, oil, and gummy substances, make the device liable to clogging or becoming gummed so that its operation would be uncertain. This difficulty is experienced generally in devices of this kind, and by enabling the removal of the blocks manually and without tools the cleaning of the device will be better attended to, because it is not arduous and will The simplicity and adaptability of the.

device to manufacture at a low cost will be obvious.

The funct1on of the devlce in operation will be readily understood by those versed.

in the art, Without detailed explanation. It is su'liicient to say that when properly installed upon an elevator, should the lifting cable 30 or the equivalent, become broken,

or the hoisting mechanism fail, allowing the cage to fall, the decrease of tension permitting suchfall would permit the'springs 27 to operate the levers 25, forcing the blocks 32 upwardly until they engage the guides 11 their frictional engagement therewith causing them to bind and wedge against the guidesyuntilthe cage is checked.

What is claimed is:

1. An elevator safety appliance of the;

class described comprising a body'member having a guide receiving channel therein, recesses being formed at the sidesof the channel having upwardly convergent sides, a clove-tail groove being formed longitudinally at the upper part of each of said sides having an enlargement at the lowerpart, friction blocks having headedmembers engaged slidably in the grooves shaped to per a lateral enlargement having an inclined.

side convergent toward the channel at the upper part, a dovetail groove being formed in the upper part of the inclinedsidehaving an enlargement at its lower part, a friction block slidable in the enlargement of the channel having an outwardlyenlarged projection engaged snugly and slidably in the dovetailed groove, the block being recessed at its under side, a lever pivoted on the body, having one end removably set in said. recessed side of the block, resilient means engaged with the lever for the action described, and means to, connect the lever to a hoisting cable.

In testimony whereof, I have aflixed my signature inpresence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR BUTTS.

Witnesses;

THOMAS P. Jones, JOHN T. Srnms.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the "Gommisiloner of Patents, Washington, D. U. 

